1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a pump; and more particularly to a portion pump.
2. Description of Related Art
At the moment, there is no known method or device used to accurately portion and pump high viscosity, fluids containing particulates such as those found in dispensing beverage concentrates and 1:1 food products such as yogurts and smoothie mixes. The current method is to use a double diaphragm pump in conjunction with an air control system to dose the product, consistent with that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,940. Due the inherent behavior of the double diaphragm pump, the current pump's accuracy for dosing is less than adequate.
The current double diaphragm pump depends on the piston/diaphragm returning to a neutral starting position within the stroke for accuracy of the dose. The double diaphragm arrangement does not perform well due to resistive forces in the diaphragm.